James b



(No Model.)

J. B. BADGER.

KINDERGARTEN APPARATUS FOR TEAGHING ARITHMETIU.

Patented Feb. 15, 1,887.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES B. BADGER, OF ONEIDA, NEW YORK.

KINDERGARTEN APPARATUS FOR TEACHING ARITHMETIC.

EaPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 357,889, datedFebruary 15, 1887.

Application filed April 19, 1886. Serial No. 199,376. N0 mime.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, J AMES B. BADGER, of Oneida, in the county ofMadison, in the State of New York, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Apparatus for Instructing Primary Scholars, ot'which thefollowing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is afull, clear, and eXact description.

This invention consistsin a novel construe tion of an apparatus designedto facilitate the teaching of the rudiments of arithmetic to primaryscholars, as hereinafter fully described, and specifically set forth inthe claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is aplan view of the arithmeticaltable; and Figs. 2 and 3 are vertical sections taken, respectively, onlines X X and Y Y, Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A represents the top ofa table, which is provided with a series ofstationary receptacles or pockets, B B, preferably formed by recessescut in the top of the table, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, and inorder to prevent the noiseincident to the manipulation ofthearithmetical objects in said recesses I line the latter with cloth orother suitable material. These receptacles or recesses are distributedin rows, and between each pair of said receptacles the top of the tableis provided with a groove, 0, which is undercut at its sides to guideand retain in said groove a card, N, whichis inserted endwise into thesame. The apparatus is supplied with a number of such cards, N N,containing different arithmetical signs or words, one set of cards beingprovided with signs of addition, another set with signs of subtraction,and another set with signs of division, and so on, and these are usedaccording to the lesson to be given to the scholar, as hereinafterexplained.

The marginal portion of the table is formed with stationary receptaclesor compartments E E, into which are placed the objects employed in theinstruction of the scholars, said objects being thus convenient ofaccess to the teacher and scholars in the process of instruction. Theseobjects may consist either of buttons, or of marbles, or of shoe-pegs,or of any other suitable articles which are easily manipulated. Thetable is also provided in its top with sockets D D, into which are setremovably vertical rods F F, of uniform size and shape throughout, andin connection with these rods are used spools adapted to be slippedsuccessively onto said rods and each succeeding spool becomes supportedupon the end of the preceding spool,as illustrated in Fig.2 ofthedrawings, thereby placing the spools in a position which permits ofreadilycounting them.

At the head of the table is arranged a clockdial, I, provided with apost, L, by which it is stepped removably in one of the sockets D, andanother similar dial may be arranged at the foot or other suitableportion of the top of the table, said dials being provided with movablehands or indicators.

In operating the described apparatus the teacher proceeds as follows:Each row of pockets B B is designed for one pupil before the time ofcalling the pupils to the table. The teacher prepares the table bysetting up the dials I in their respective positions on thetable, andsets the hands of one dial to mark the time at which the lessons are tobegin and the hands of the other dial to indicate the time at which thepupils are to leave the table, and places the manipulative objects inthe different compartments or receptacles E E, and insorts in thegrooves O O the cards N N, containing the arithmetical signs required inthe expressions of the examples to be given to the pupils, asillustrated in Fig. l of the drawings. The pupils are instructed how toobserve the time on the dials and to approach the table at the time whenthe hands of the regular clock point to the time indicated on the dial Iat the head of the table, and to leave the table at the time when theposition of the hands of the clock corresponds to the position of thehands of the dial at the foot of the table.

The lessons to be taught are written on a blackboard or silicate cards;but the results of the examples are omitted. In teaching the pupils tocount by units the pupil is required to take one of the'objects out ofone of the re ceptacles E and place it in the upper left-handpocket,B,or on the upper left-hand standard, F, then another object inthe next pocket or on the next standard to the right,and add one moreobjectto it. Then place the same number of objects in the next pocket,or on the next standard to the right, and add one more object thereto,and so on until the entire row of pockets or standards have been used.Then commence at the left-hand pocket or standard of the second row andproceed in the manner before described, and this process may becontinued through all the rows of cups or standards.

To count by twos, the pupil puts either one or two objects in the firstcup, or on the first standard, then the same number of objects in thenext cup,or on the next standard, and adds two more objects thereto,then places in the next cup, or on the next standard, the same number ofobjects as that contained in the second cup,or on the second standard.and adds two more objects to the third cup or standard, and so on, andthis process is carried on in counting by threes and other numbers.

In making different combinations of numbers the pupil puts the number ofobjects expressed in the example successively in the cups or on thewires, always beginning at the left of the row, and insertsin thegrooves O 0 cards N N, containing the necessary words or arithmeticalsigns.

In givinglessons in dividing numbers small silicate cards (preferablycircular in form) are to be used to write thereon the part of a numberto be taken. This card is placed in the first cup, a card containing theword of is inserted in the adjacent groove 0, the objects representingthe number of which the part to be taken are placed in the next cup tothe right, the card containingtheword is is inserted in the next groove0, and the objects representing the amount taken are placed in the thirdcup.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1s- 1. An apparatus for instructing primary scholars,comprising a table, a series of sta-" tionary receptacles distributed inrows in the top of the table, and arithmetical signs between saidreceptacles, substantially asdescribed and shown.

2. The combination of an arithmetical table having a series of recessesor pockets distributed in rows in the top of the table, arithmeticalsign-cards secured removably between the said pockets, and receptaclessecured stationary on the marginal portion of the table for thecollection of the arithmetical objects, substantially as described andshown.

In testimony whereofl have hereunto signed my name and afiixed my seal,in the presence of two attesting witnesses, at Syracuse, in the countyof Onondaga, in the State ofNew York, this 17th day of April, 1886.

JAMES B. BADGER. [L. s] lVitnesses:

FREDERICK I-I. GIBBS, E. (3. CANNON.

